7/27/2019 Becoming More Australian in Peru Erinwalton(1)
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Erin Walton
Becoming More Australian in PeruWhile overseas, I regularly find
that people are shocked by my being Australian and not being
apro-surfer. Oddly enough, that I dont hunt crocodiles, bellow
Crikey! or ride in a roos pouchseems to escape scathing popular
opinion. But admitting to not being able to surf? Wow, I almostneed
boxing kangaroo gloves to defend that one.In any case taking
surfing lessons had remained an untouched bucket list item since I
was 15, sowhen I found myself in a great place for learners I was
happy to finally make the effort (andperhaps a fool of myself in
the process)That happy learners heaven was Huanchaco, a Peruvian
beach town not far from Trujillo and aserious base camp for the
countrys surf culture. In fact those northern beaches are thought
tohave been the birthplace of the sport, occurring in a eureka
moment reminiscent of Archimedes inhis bathtub when ancient
fishermen first thought to stand atop their single-man reed boats
and ridethe waves back to shore.Seeing how dedicated Huanchaco is
to surfing (and how decidedly shark-free the waters were,unlike my
home turf) I decided that I would just have to get my feet wet I
signed up for a single class with a school guaranteeing that it
would be free if you didnt stand bythe end. I thought to ask if a
class had ever been given for free. Not for years, I was assured
-and felt immediately embarrassed for being the doofus who would
break the schools winningstreak.My very first class was 50/50
classroom theory to practice. At first it sounded like a lot of
timeaway from the beach, but as we began work I realised that
learning the basics on the sand,surrounded by curious toddlers,
goofy pelicans and flirting teenagers wasnt at all conducive
tolearning. Distraction was high and those lessons were often cut
short as a result. In our
classroom, we were free of pesky irritations and covered the
theory without trouble.Soon it was time to see if all that
conceptual study could be transferred to the water. Working withtwo
students to one instructor, we practised on baby waves and learned
how to stand as directed.A couple of juicy stacks followed, before
surprising myself more than anyone I stood, not once,but several
times. There I was atop sweet little waves, feeling the absolute
force that even a smallamount of water had rushing beneath the
board, smiling at how insane it was to be pushed bypower of the sea
and shocked at how quickly the shore was heading for me; all in the
seconds ittook for my beginners inability to coordinate my
movements with those of the board to send metoppling into the
water.Of course, one lesson wasnt enough. Four more followed in
which we touched on paddling, timingyour strokes to the waves,
sitting, types of waves and selecting which ones to attempt.
Everythingthey say is true: surfing is beautiful, but an intense
workout. The constant drift of the wavesdragging you further away
from your position means a lot of paddling against the current to
return.By the end of each day, my back and arms couldnt fathom
trying again but still I would, drawn ineach time by the allure of
making this attempt better than the last.Im not strictly a water
person, yet taking surf lessons made me appreciate the beach so
muchmore. The experience comes highly recommended; whether for
Australians hoping to becomemore so, or for anyone who wants to see
for themselves why this sport has enchanted people forso long.
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